NYFF Review: I Just Didn't Do It

Some years ago, while standing on a platform at Tokyo's busy Shibuya station during the height of the morning rush hour, I witnessed an event remarkably similar to the one that opens I Just Didn't Do It. A nondescript salaryman who had been accused of groping a student on the train was quickly surrounded and detained by fellow passengers. The fear on his face was unforgettable as he repeatedly denied the charges. Within minutes he was hauled off by the police, and the station quickly returned to its usual frenetic pace. I often wondered what became of the man, and if Masayuki Suo's film is any indication, I hope he didn't attempt to prove his innocence. In I Just Didn't Do It, Ryo Kase (dancing Takefumi from Funky Forest) plays Teppei, an alleged groper of a schoolgirl who finds himself up against a legal system that boasts a 99.9% conviction rate. So unlikely is an acquittal that most of the accused simply pay a fine and move on. Owing more to naiveté than defiance, Teppei simply can't reconcile admitting to a crime he didn't commit. Though shouted at and browbeaten by detectives and prosecutors alike (who significantly alter his statements), he still believes the truth will set him free. I'm hard pressed to think of another film that so delves into the minutia of the Japanese legal system, and Suo spares no details. From the police who are would rather obtain confessions than solve crimes, to useless public defenders who encourage guilty pleas, to the difficulty in obtaining proper council, it's a system seemingly built on guilty until proven guilty. Though the hard evidence in the case against Teppei is limited to the testimony of the groped student, the trial still consists of approximately fifteen hearings, all of which are given screen time in the film's 140 minutes. However, Suo isn't content with merely chronicling the draconian legal process and futility of standing trial – he strives to peel back the layers to reveal a system corrupt not only at the highest levels, but also at its very core. Judges who speak of their role as protectors of the innocent are mysteriously replaced. Defense evidence and eyewitness testimony is all but ignored, whereas prosecutors mount a successful prima-facie case around Teppei's unemployment, and possession of pornography. A not-guilty verdict is viewed as being in opposition of state power; an extension, perhaps, of Japan's collectivism that subjugates the self to society as a whole. It's interesting that Suo chooses the crime that he does. Public groping (chikan) is no small matter in Japan, and it's given rise to women-only carriages on many train lines, as well as a new set of criminal classifications based on whether the groping takes place under or over the undergarments. (Seriously.) Teppei's female attorney (Asaka Seto) at first refuses the case, for she feels that his being a man is motive enough. An understandable position given how rampant the particular crime is, but ultimately a dangerous one. That the victim is underage only strengthens the prosecutor's case, and her inconclusive testimony is given greater weight due to her willingness to testify. Though legally untenable, the fact that many crimes of this nature remain unreported (a recent survey reveals that 70% of high school girls claim they have been groped on the subway) explains the desire of the courts to prosecute. Yet Suo wisely avoids these socio-political factors, which would reduce the film to a standard courtroom drama. The outcome isn't what matters here, nor is it a question of Teppei's innocence or guilt. I Just Didn't Do It is strictly about the unyielding rigidity of the process, and the power system that allows it to be perpetuated. Back in 1996 I decried that the god-awful Shall We Dance (director Masayuki Suo's previous film) would result in the death of Japanese cinema as we know it. Fair enough, I was wrong. Still, it's wonderful to see what a difference ten years makes. I Just Didn't Do It is the antithesis of that film, devoid of the feel-good syrupy sentimentality that oozed from every frame. Exposé, cautionary tale, and procedural all rolled into one, I Just Didn't Do It is a study in the abuse of state power that no fan of Foucault should miss.

Comments

[dan]

how do i get a hold of this flick?

[Lady Wakasa]

I've got tickets to the festival showing, so I didn't read your whole review. But I am looking forward to it.

[Justin Slotman]

I think you're just going to have to wait a little bit, dan, it doesn't appear to be on DVD anywhere on the planet yet.

[su1shi]

it's already available on dvd:
http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-j/section-videos/pid-1004843627/

[Justin Slotman]

Well shut my mouth! No subs though.

[norma jean]

this is an eye-opener to the judicial system all over the world. please watch this! i highly recommend.